Drug pusher’s estranged wife, another shot dead in Minglanilla

TWO persons, including the estranged wife of a slain notorious drug pusher, were shot to death inside their house in Sitio Bacay, Barangay Tulay, Minglanilla, Cebu, on Tuesday midnight.

Haide Franza and Rolando Paglinawan sustained fatal gunshot wounds in the head and abdomen. Police found their bodies inside the home they were sharing around 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, April 17.

Franza is the estranged wife of Juvie Franza, an allegedly notorious drug pusher who was killed in a drug bust in February this year.

Police believed the murder may have been related to the grudge between Franza and her late husband’s commonlaw wife, Evangeline Briones.

Briones came to the limelight after she filed a complaint against Minglanilla police officers before the Commission on Human Rights, claiming they were responsible for her partner’s death.

PO2 Arnel Resente, the investigator in charge of the case, told SunStar Cebu that Franza and Paglinawan were reportedly talking at their house’s living room when the unidentified suspect came in and shot them to death using a .45 caliber pistol.

Franza sustained three bullet wounds on her abdomen, while Paglinawan was shot on the back of his head.

Resente said the gunman was able to flee the crime scene easily as the sitio had numerous escape routes.

Resente said that based on eyewitness accounts, Franza, along with Paglinawan, started living at her late husband’s house again following his death last February.

This led to Franza having heated arguments with Briones over management of her late husband’s personal effects and properties.

Briones has not been seen since she filed the complaint against the local police.

Resente said they have considered Briones as a possible suspect but they are not discounting the possibility that another person may have killed Franza and Paglinawan.

Resente said they also found no initial signs of struggle that would suggest that the killer barged in to kill the couple.

“Murag kaila ra ang mga biktima ug suspect kay wala may pinugsanay nga pagsulod sa balay. Giluyo pa gyud ang lalaki, so naay posibilidad nga nagstorya pana sila sa wala pa sila patya,” Resente added.

Police in Minglanilla are still conducting a deeper investigation to determine who is behind the murder.